January 4 is a church holiday. Orthodox church holidays of January. The story of the life of the Great Martyr Nastasya
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Orthodox church holidays January
Orthodox church calendar, today is a holiday:
Christmas (Filippov) fast from November 28 to January 6. Prefeast of the Nativity of Christ.
* Great Martyr Anastasia the Solver (c. 304).
Martyrs Chrysogon, Theodotia, Evod, Eutykhian and others (c. 304); Zoila. Hieromartyrs Demetrius (Kiranov) and Theodore (Poroikov) archpriest (1938).
Memorial Day of the Holy Great Martyr Anastasia the Destroyer
The Holy Great Martyr Anastasia the Destroyer was born in Rome. Her mother, a secret Christian, entrusted the upbringing of the little girl to Saint Chrysogon, known for his learning. At the end of the teaching, Anastasia was spoken of as a wise and beautiful maiden. After the death of her mother, disregarding her daughter's wishes, her father gave her in marriage to the pagan Pomplia. In order not to violate the vow of virginity and avoid the marriage bed, Anastasia constantly referred to an incurable disease and kept her purity.
There were many imprisoned Christians in the dungeons of Rome at that time. Dressed in beggarly clothes, the saint secretly visited the prisoners - she washed and fed the sick, unable to move, bandaged wounds, consoled everyone who needed it. Left a widow, she used the inheritance for the same merciful purposes.
After Saint Chrysogonus was executed by the decision of the Emperor Diocletian, Saint Anastasia began to wander in order to minister to Christians imprisoned in dungeons wherever possible. So she received the gift of healing. Through labors and words of consolation, Saint Anastasia facilitated the imprisonment of many people, by taking care of the bodies and souls of the suffering, she freed them from the bonds of despair, fear and helplessness, and therefore she was called the Destroyer of Patterns. In Macedonia, the saint met the young Christian widow Theodotia, who helped her in her pious labors.
When it became known that Anastasia was a Christian, the emperor Diocletian ordered that the saint be taken to the high priest Ulpian, so that he would persuade her to sacrifice to the pagan gods or subject her to cruel execution. The priest invited Saint Anastasia to make a choice between rich gifts and instruments of torture placed on both sides near her. The saint, without hesitation, pointed to the instruments of torture: “Surrounded by these objects, I will become more beautiful and more pleasing to my longed-for Bridegroom, Christ…” Before subjecting Saint Anastasia to torture, Ulpian decided to desecrate her. But, as soon as he touched her, he went blind, a terrible pain squeezed his head, and after a while he died. Saint Anastasia found herself free and, together with Theodotia, continued to serve the prisoners.
Soon Saint Theodotia and her three sons were martyred by the Anfipat (head of the region) Nikitiy in their native city of Nicaea. Saint Anastasia was again imprisoned and tortured with hunger for 60 days. Every night Saint Theodotia appeared to the martyr, approving and strengthening her in patience. Seeing that hunger did no harm to the saint, the hegemon of Illyria ordered her to be drowned along with condemned criminals, among whom was Eutychian, who was persecuted for his faith.
The soldiers put the prisoners on the ship and went out to the open sea. Far from the coast, they boarded a boat, and made several holes in the ship so that it would sink. The ship began to sink into the water, but the prisoners saw the martyr Theodotia, who controlled the sails and directed the ship to the shore. 120 people, struck by a miracle, believed in Christ - Saints Anastasia and Eutychian baptized them. Upon learning of what had happened, the hegemon ordered the execution of all the newly baptized. Saint Anastasia was stretched over the fire between four pillars. Thus ended her martyrdom in the year 304 Saint Anastasia the Solver.
The body of the saint remained unharmed, the pious Christian woman Apollinaria buried him. At the end of the persecution, she built a church over the tomb of the Holy Great Martyr Anastasia.
What holidays on January 4 in Russia and Ukraine are church holidays ...
We present the holidays on January 4 in Russia and Ukraine, church, Orthodox, festive events and memorable dates on the fourth day of January in the initial month of the year. On this page you will find out what holidays will be on January 4, what they are connected with, what events, as well as folk signs, proverbs and sayings about this winter day.
Also, at the end of the page you can learn (briefly) about other holidays and celebrations of the month of January, customs, traditions, folk omens And so on. But first, find out what a holiday is, its definition.
A holiday is a certain period of time (usually one day) allocated in the calendar for the coming year in honor of some significant event, something or someone that has a sacred mythical, non-domestic) meaning and is directly related to the cultural or religious tradition in some country (region).
The word holiday is also used in other meanings that are close in meaning, such as:
A holiday is the opposite of weekdays - is an official day of rest, established in connection with some calendar event;
A holiday is a fun pastime of free time, entertainment events (mass), a day of some personal or social joyful event;
The general state of spiritual uplift (high spirits), (sometimes in phrases: "holiday of life" and so on).
Holidays January 4 - dates and events
Memorial Day of St. Anastasia
Lemon Caramel Passion Day
Newton's Day
Independence Day - Myanmar
Church holidays January 4 (Orthodox) - St. Anastasia's Day
January 4th is St. Anastasia's Day, known as the patroness of pregnant women. On this day, we looked at the weather and talked about what the month of October would be like. There were also many signs by which the harvest was judged.
Those born on St. Anastasia's Day should wear a talisman with jasper, as it was believed that this would help protect themselves from evil forces. Anastasia is a fasting woman, a pattern solver, who is considered the patroness of all women in childbirth, and therefore, they prayed to her to ask for help in an easy birth.
The people often called Anastasia Postnitsa, since her day, January 4, preceded the Christmas fast. She was also prayed for the health and well-being of the children as they went to church on January 4th. In addition, it was believed that Anastasia patronizes innocently convicted people.
On January 4th, peasants slaughter pigs for the Christmas table. They start preparing food for the holiday. Pork sausage was very popular. married women and girls of marriageable age embroidered special towels on January 4th. It was believed that they could be reliable amulets and help make it easier to give birth to a child, as well as maintain the health of the mother.
With such a towel, the midwife subsequently wiped the sweat from the forehead of the woman giving birth and uttered conspiracies that helped alleviate pain and suffering.
Holidays January 4 - Burmese Union Day
National Day of Myanmar, celebrated since January 4, 1948. After liberation from Japanese oppression in 1945, civil war broke out in Myanmar. Each of the many nationalities claimed the central power in the country.
The civil confrontation lasted until 1948, when the most numerous and influential national groups reached an agreement on a ceasefire and the formalization of the Burmese union. However, the truce did not last long, soon a new ethnic conflict arose.
Holidays January 4 - Putrada Ekadashi
Hindus call their country Bharata-varsha and call themselves Bharatas. Bharat is translated as a descendant of Bharata, in ancient times it was the emperor of the whole Earth. The custom of celebrating this celebration is very ancient, the same as the story of Emperor Bharata, which is described in the Vedas and Puranas.
On the day of this festival, people try to better understand Sri Narayana, who manifests himself through the names, qualities and deeds that are described in the sacred texts of the Vedas.
January holidays - events, dates, festivities...
January 1 - holidays, memorable days and events
New Year's Eve in Austria
world peace day
Independence Day. Haiti
Independence Day. Western Samoa
Independence Day. Cameroon
Independence Day. Palau
Feast of Walruses. Canada
Liberation Day (1959) . Cuba
Day of the Palestinian Revolution (1964). Palestine
Independence Day (1956). Sudan
Republic Day (1993). Slovakia
national hangover day
Lithuanian Flag Day
Feast of the Virgin Mary (Catholic)
Saint Maximilian Kolbe's Day
New Year in Japan
New Year in China
Maha Kumbh Mela - large religious gathering (January)
Vasanta Panchami - worship of Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge and sacred speech (January-February)
January 2 - holidays, memorable days and events
Hero's Day - Haiti
Granada Day - Spain
Day of Berthold, founder of Bern - Switzerland
Bank holiday. Japan and Scotland. All banks and credit institutions are closed
January 3 - holidays, memorable days and events
Revolution Day Burkina Faso
Martyrs' Day of Colonial Repression in Angola
Christening of the foal, lunar new year. Lithuania
January 4 - holidays, memorable days and events
Independence Day or Burmese Union Day
Martyrs' Day in Zaire
Banker's Day in Belarus (celebrated on the first Sunday of January)
January 5 - holidays, memorable days and events
Day of social protection worker in Belarus
Small story day
Fast 10 Tevet (Jewish World)
January 6 - holidays, memorable days and events
The beginning of Carnival in Catholic countries
Feast of the Epiphany or Epiphany Austria, Greece, Germany, Spain, Italy, Sweden, Finland
Feast of the Epiphany or Epiphany in Italy
Feast of the Epiphany or Epiphany in France
Feast of the Epiphany or Epiphany in Spain
Feast of the Epiphany or Epiphany in Austria
Eve of the Nativity of Christ (Orthodox world).
Three Holy Kings Day
Children's Day. Uruguay
Day of the Three Wise Men. Estonia
Feast of the Three Wise Men in the Czech Republic
New Year's parade in Tokyo. Japan
January 7 - holidays, memorable days and events
Nativity
bank clerk day
National holiday (since 1979). Cambodia
The old holiday USOKAE. Japan
January 8 - holidays, memorable days and events
- "Indian Day" in Bulgaria (women's parties)
Gremlins cajole day
January 9 - holidays, memorable days and events
Republika Srpska Day
National Martyrs' Day - Panama
January 10 - holidays, memorable days and events
Voodoo Festival (since 1997), Benin
Margaret Thatcher Day. Falkland Islands
January 11 - holidays, memorable days and events
Coming of Age Day (Seijin-no-hi) in Japan.
world sick day
Republic Day (1946) in Albania
Unity Day in Nepal
Day of Reserves in Russia
Independence Day (1960). Chad
January 12 - holidays, memorable days and events
Day of the prosecutor's office in Russia
Memorial Day in Turkmenistan
Zanzibar Revolution Day in Tanzania
January 13 - holidays, memorable days and events
old New Year
Liberation Day (Ghana)
Lori festival in India
Defenders of Freedom Day in Lithuania (in memory of the events of 1991)
Russian Press Day
Stephen Foster Memorial Day in the USA
Liberation Day (Freedom Day) in Togo.
Old New Year (Julian calendar) in Wales.
January 14 - holidays, memorable days and events
New Year in Greece - Saint Basil's Day
Ratification Day (1784). Maryland, USA.
Defenders of the Motherland Day in Uzbekistan
The Indian and Sikh winter solstice festival of Maghi or Makara Sakranthi (Makar Sankranthi).
Circumcision of the Lord (Orthodox world).
January 15 - holidays, memorable days and events
Teacher's Day in Venezuela.
Arbor Festival in Jordan.
Memorial Day of Mihai Eminescu (1850-1889), Romanian and Moldavian romantic poet in Moldova.
Martin Luther King Day in USA
Day civil rights. USA, New Hampshire.
Confederate Heroes Day. USA, Texas.
January 16 - holidays, memorable days and events
International Beatles Day
Day of the Sacrifice (Benin).
The beginning of the kambai ceremonies - admiring the plum blossom in Japan (lasts for a month).
January 17 - holidays, memorable days and events
St. Day Anthony - patron saint of animals
Anniversary of the South in New Zealand
Constitution Day in the Philippines.
Cathedral of the 70 Apostles (Orthodox world)
January 18 - holidays, memorable days and events
Revolution Day in Tunisia.
Day of the Prophet Micah
Christmas Eve of the Epiphany
January 19 - holidays, memorable days and events
Martin Luther King Day - USA
Day of rest after the carnival (Fr. Bonaire)
Arafah Day for Muslims
Rescue Service Worker Day - Belarus
January 20 - holidays, memorable days and events
Day of National Sorrow in Azerbaijan
Heroes' Day in Guinea-Bissau.
Army Day in Laos.
Awards Day is a military holiday in Mali.
Inauguration Day in the USA. Celebrated since 1965.
Day of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea (Ukraine).
Eid al-Kurban (Kurban Bayram, Eid-al-Adha) - Feast of Sacrifice (Muslim world)
Saint Sebastian's Day (patron saint of soldiers and police officers) (Catholic world)
January 21 - holidays, memorable days and events
Memorial Day of the Holy Martyr Abo Tbileli - the patron saint of Tbilisi
Army Day in Lesotho.
Day of Engineering Troops in Russia
Opening Day Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Saint Philip's Day
January 22 - holidays, memorable days and events
Unity Day on Ukraine
Day of the Air Defense Forces of the Russian Federation
Birthday popcorn (popcorn)
January 23 - holidays, memorable days and events
Liechtenstein Independence Day
handwriting day
green light day
January 24 - holidays, memorable days and events
Economic Freedom Day (Togo).
Day of Remembrance for the Victims of the Genocide in World War II has been celebrated since 2001 in Great Britain.
Sadeh (Jashan-e Sadeh) Zoroastrians
January 25 - holidays, memorable days and events
Tatyana's Day
Founding of Sao Paulo. Brazil.
Republic Day in Uganda.
Robert Burns Day in Scotland
January 26 - holidays, memorable days and events
Australia Day
Saint Elizar's Day in Bulgaria. You can’t eat, as it should be in a post, until the first star.
Reply from ~* [email protected] [email protected]~*~[guru]
Holy Sunday of Christ (Easter) - May 5, 2013
Twelfth non-passing holidays
January 7 - Christmas
January 19 - Epiphany (Theophany)
February 15 - Meeting of the Lord
April 7 - Annunciation Holy Mother of God
August 19 - Transfiguration of the Lord
August 28 - Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
September 21 - Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
December 4 - Entry into the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos
Twelfth rolling holidays
April 28 - Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem
June 13 - Ascension of the Lord
June 23 - Holy Trinity Day. Pentecost.
Great holidays
January 14 - Circumcision of the Lord
July 7 - Nativity of John the Baptist
July 12 - Holy Apostles Peter and Paul
October 14 - Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos
Church fasts of many days
March 18 - May 4 - Lent
July 1 - July 11 - Petrov post
August 14 - 27 - Dormition Fast
November 28, 2013 - January 6, 2014 - Advent
Church day fasts
Wednesday and Friday of the whole year, except for continuous weeks and Yuletide
January 18 - Epiphany Christmas Eve (Eve of the Epiphany)
September 11 - Beheading of John the Baptist
September 27 - Exaltation of the Holy Cross
Days of Special Remembrance for the Dead
March 9
March 30 - Saturday of the 2nd week of Great Lent
April 6 - Saturday of the 3rd week of Great Lent
April 13 - Saturday of the 4th week of Great Lent
May 14 - Radonitsa
May 9 - Commemoration of the deceased soldiers
June 26 - Saturday Trinity
November 2 - Saturday Dimitrievsk
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Great Martyr Anastasia the Patterner - Anastasia, Anastasia the Patterner. Anastasia got her nickname among the people because the prayer addressed to her helped pregnant women to be happily resolved. On the day of St. Anastasia, Russian peasants honored mothers and glorified motherhood. They took out a generic embroidered towel from the chest, whose white linen symbolized a fertile arable land that gives bread (this is how a woman in labor gives rise to a new life). On such a towel, patterns symbolizing fertility were usually embroidered. The origin of the word "pattern" is interesting, which in modern language denotes a picturesque ornament used to decorate objects and clothing. In fact, the word "pattern" had the same root as the words "dawn" and "lightning" and thus was associated with heavenly fire - the mighty power of the sun. On this day, from ancient times, mothers and wives of people who were in prison or in a settlement went to healers. They came before dawn, so that the healer, at their request, would read a conspiracy to the unfortunate - a talisman from death in dungeons.
On this day, they read a conspiracy that protects from all troubles. Early in the morning, knock on the door of your room with your left hand and say: “God grant that God Himself guards my threshold. As long as they knock on this door, until then God and the saints will not forget me. In the name of the Father and the Son and Holy Spirit. Amen."
By the day of Anastasia, it is necessary to complete all the main housework. Preparation of raw materials for the Christmas table begins. It was on Anastasia that they stabbed a pig, that is, they spent a fresh one. Salo and sausages on the Christmas table is an inapplicable attribute. As stated in folk proverb: "Christmas without sausages is like Easter without krashenok."
Folk signs on Anastasia, January 4: What is Anastasia, such is October. The sunset is clean - to the bucket the next day. Straw is knocked into clods when burning in the oven - to a cold snap. The bullfinch makes noise with its wings clearly - to bad weather. The lower back hurts in the elderly - to the snow.
On this day it is impossible: To beat an animal, otherwise a person risks breaking his leg. Pierce ears - they will heal for a long time. Walk barefoot, otherwise you will know poverty. Knit mittens, muffs, gloves so that there are no convicts in the family (do not show hands
Today, January 4, is significant for a number of anniversaries, which are mainly relevant for other countries, and not for Russia. However, we will definitely focus on holiday events. Along with this, we will dwell in more detail on the church holiday and the event from the folk calendar.
Today, January 4, 2017, such an interesting holiday as Newton's Day catches the eye. It refers to international holidays. At the same time, we must not forget that today there is also a church holiday - St. Anastasia's Memorial Day. In addition, Nastasya's day is marked in the folk calendar.
Sir Isaac Newton - one of the greatest scientists who lived in the XVII century, a genius, a unique person. He studied physics, mathematics, mechanics, astronomy, alchemy and theology. At the end of his life he devoted himself to history and theology. A holiday called Newton's Day was organized in his honor. It takes place on January 4, 2017.
Traditionally, on this day, many pundits visit the grave of their great colleague in Westminster Abbey. The epitaph on the monument lists only some of his character traits. But even this is enough to understand that a great man lies here.
Isaac was born in the family of an English farmer just before the Civil War, on January 4, 1643. They did not want to baptize him for a long time, since he was born premature and sickly. But character and perseverance already manifested themselves in a small body. Newton survived and lived a long busy life, leaving behind many discoveries in the natural sciences.
The most famous of them is the disclosure of the mystery of universal gravitation. The legend says (and, as proven by historians, this is more than a legend) that an apple that fell next to Newton caused a question in his head, the answer to which later glorified the scientist all over the world.
What is the church holiday today, 01/04/2017: St. Anastasia's Day
The Holy Great Martyr Anastasia the Destroyer was born in Rome. Her mother, a secret Christian, entrusted the upbringing of the little girl to Saint Chrysogon, known for his learning. At the end of the teaching, Anastasia was spoken of as a wise and beautiful maiden. After the death of her mother, disregarding her daughter's wishes, her father gave her in marriage to the pagan Pomplia. In order not to violate the vow of virginity and avoid the marriage bed, Anastasia constantly referred to an incurable disease and kept her purity.
Many imprisoned Christians languished in the dungeons of Rome at that time. In beggarly clothes, the saint secretly visited the prisoners - she washed and fed the sick, unable to move, bandaged wounds, consoled everyone who needed it. Left a widow, she used her inheritance for charitable purposes.
After Saint Chrysogonus was executed by the decision of the Emperor Diocletian, Saint Anastasia began to wander in order to minister to Christians imprisoned in dungeons wherever possible. So she received the gift of healing. With labors and words of consolation, Saint Anastasia facilitated the imprisonment of many people, by caring for the bodies and souls of the suffering, she freed them from the bonds of despair, fear and helplessness - for this reason Anastasia is also called the Solver.
As noted above, today they remember St. Anastasia, also known as Anastasia the Patterner. Anastasia, who lived in Rome in the 3rd century, in the heyday of the persecution of Christians, fearlessly helped those people who were imprisoned for the new faith, for which she received her nickname.
On Nastasya's Day, mothers taught their daughters to embroider, showing them what patterns, symbolizing fertility, can be used to decorate birth towels, which were kept in chests until that day or before the birth. The nickname of St. Anastasia also echoes the fact that before embroidery was called patterned, and embroiderers - patterned.
On Nastasya's day, they served lean porridge and treated it to pregnant women so that they would be full of strength and not get sick. It was also necessary to glorify the ancestors of the family on this day, and especially those who give life - mothers.
According to the weather of Nastasya's day, they wondered what it would be like in October, and if they noticed clouds running against the wind, they expected snowfall.
On November 4, 3 Orthodox church holidays are celebrated. The list of events informs about church holidays, fasts, days of honoring the memory of saints. The list will help you find out the date of a significant religious event for Orthodox Christians.
Church Orthodox holidays November 4
Kazan autumn
Celebration in honor of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God.
The holiday was established in 1649 as a token of gratitude to the miraculous image of the Most Holy Theotokos for the deliverance of Moscow and all of Russia from the invasion of Polish troops in 1612.
Nothing and no one on Earth lives without water - lake, river, rain, spring. Needed by everyone without exception, water is still different. Sometimes God gives healing power to the springs, and then the water not only nourishes, but renews strength and restores health. These healing springs and springs may be hot, may have special taste, color and chemical composition. The beast - by instinct and man - by the mind find this water, and with it - the mercy of the Creator. Why some springs are ordinary, while others are miraculous, knows the One Who created heaven and earth and everything in them.
We see the same thing with icons. A lot of them. In temples and dwellings, large and small, ancient and new, they look at us through the eyes of Christ, the Mother of God, saints. And through some of them, God is pleased to work miracles and show mercy. So he decided, and it was He Himself who made the election. Why this image, and not another, and why now, and not earlier or later, is also His will. Such is the icon of Kazan.
Her veneration connects us with individuals and events. The main personality is Patriarch Hermogenes, defender of the Fatherland and martyr. While still just a priest, he became an eyewitness of miracles from the newly appeared icon. He became the descriptor of these miracles and the creator of the troparion to the Theotokos.
“O zealous intercessor, Mother of the Lord Most High, pray for all your Son Christ our God, and work for everyone to be saved ...”.
And the main event is confusion. There is nothing to compare it with, except perhaps with the revolution of 1917 and the subsequent series of nightmares. Habitually complaining about life and expressing dissatisfaction with everything in the world, we can hardly imagine what the turmoil of the interregnum is when the Ruriks were cut short, and the Romanovs had not yet appeared, when a huge country, like a wounded beast, fell into the teeth of countless jackals. The jackals have no pity.
The peasant then does not plow, because the harvest will be taken anyway. The merchant does not go out on the road because he will be robbed. Villages then become empty and roofs in abandoned houses sag. Dogs in empty villages and villages at this time have no one to bark at. Rulers change so quickly that the people do not have time to remember their names. Kissing the cross for allegiance first to one, then to another, then to a third, people completely cease to feel the holiness of the oath and the kiss of the cross.
Everything is profaned and devalued. Life becomes a toy, and no one buries the abandoned corpses. The first to be corrupted are those who are closer to power, who are immersed in intrigues. Those who sit on two chairs and dream of a crown, but tremble for their own skin. They become cynics, and the defenseless people cease to trust anyone. And now the henchmen of the Polish king wear the Monomakh's hat, and in the Kremlin they sing the Liturgy in Latin.
The exit from the Troubles was wonderful and unpredictable in advance. The people organized themselves, got inspired and, lining up in regiments, went to liberate Belokamennaya - the House of the Most Holy Theotokos. The leaders were the most unexpected, just as the winner of Goliath, David, was once unexpected. On banners and icons, the Face of the Virgin walked ahead of the people's army.
To Hermogenes, who was dying of hunger in the monastery cellar, the saints appeared, among whom was Abba Sergius, and they said that by the intercession of the Mother of God, the judgment of the Fatherland was shifted to mercy.
Here, obviously, there is some answer to our frequent questions and bewilderment. After all, there is overseas captivity, there is the fatigue of the peasant, there are deserted villages. There is also the cynicism of nobles who do not love the country they rule, and are ready, if necessary, to listen to another service in an unfamiliar language. (This is - if necessary, otherwise - it is better to do without services).
But there is also the Mother of God. People have love for her. There is also Her prayer to the Son, like sometimes in Cana of Galilee. There
She said: "They have no wine." Now he says, perhaps: “They have no mind. They don't have willpower. They don't have love. Their faith is weak."
And how then did the water become delicious wine after the request of Mary, so today nothing will prevent cowardice from changing into courage, petty selfishness into nobility, and stupidity into wisdom.
Unless, of course, she prays.
Unless, of course, we ask her about it.
Equal-to-the-Apostles Averky, Bishop of Hierapolis, Wonderworker
The Church celebrates the memory of St. Averky, a native of the city of Hierapolis (Phrygia). Possessed the gift of miracles. For his great labors he was called Equal-to-the-Apostles.
Saint Equal-to-the-Apostles Averky, Bishop of Hierapolis, miracle worker, became famous in the 2nd century in Phrygia. The city of Hierapolis in those days was inhabited mainly by pagans. The saint prayed to the Lord for the salvation of their souls and turning to the True Light. An angel appeared and commanded Saint Averky to crush the idols in the pagan temple. With zeal the saint fulfilled the command of God. Hearing that the idolaters wanted to kill him, the saint came to the place of public meetings and openly denounced the errors of the pagans.
The pagans tried to seize the saint. At this time, three demon-possessed youths screamed in the crowd. The people were confused, but the saint cast out demons from them by prayer. Seeing the young men healthy, the people of Hierapolis asked Saint Averky to teach them the Christian faith, and then they accepted holy Baptism. After that, the saint went to neighboring towns and villages, healing the sick and preaching about the Kingdom of God. With a sermon, he went around Syria, Cilicia, Mesopotamia, visited Rome and everywhere converted many people to Christ.
Saint Averky was named equal to the apostles for his great labors. For many years he protected the Church from heretics, confirmed Christians in the faith, instructed the lost on the true path, healed the sick and spread the glory of Christ.
Seven Youths of Ephesus: Saints Maximilian, Iamblichus, Martinian, Dionysius, Antoninus, Exacustodian (Constantine) and John
Seven Ephesian youths: Maximilian, Iamblichus, Martinian, John, Dionysius, Exacustodian (Constantine) and Antoninus, lived in the III century.
Saint Maximilian was the son of the Ephesian mayor, the other six youths were the sons of other noble citizens of Ephesus. The young men were friends from childhood, and all were on military service. When the emperor Decius (249-251) arrived in Ephesus, he ordered all the citizens to appear to offer sacrifice to the pagan deities; the disobedient were awaiting torment and the death penalty.
At the denunciation of those who sought the favor of the emperor, the seven youths of Ephesus were also called to account. Appearing before the emperor, the holy youths confessed their faith in Christ. The insignia of military distinction - military belts - were immediately removed from them. However, Decius let them go free, hoping that they would change their mind while he was on the campaign.
The young men left the city and hid in the cave of Mount Okhlon, where they spent time in prayer, preparing for the martyrdom. The youngest of them, Saint Iamblichus, dressed in beggarly rags, went to the city and bought bread. On one of these exits to the city, he heard that the emperor had returned and they were looking for them to be brought to trial. Saint Maximilian encouraged his friends to come out of the cave and voluntarily appear at the court. Having learned where the youths were hiding, the emperor ordered that the entrance to the cave be blocked with stones so that the youths would die in it of hunger and thirst. Two of the dignitaries who were present at the walling up of the entrance to the cave were secret Christians. Wishing to preserve the memory of the saints, they placed a sealed reliquary among the stones, in which were two tin tablets. On them were written the names of the seven youths and the circumstances of their suffering and death.
But the Lord brought on the youths a wonderful dream that lasted almost two centuries. By that time, the persecution of Christians had ceased, although under the holy noble king Theodosius the Younger (408-450), heretics appeared who rejected the resurrection of the dead at the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Some of them said: “How can there be a resurrection of the dead, when there will be neither soul nor body, since they will be destroyed?” Others argued: "Only souls alone will have a reward, since it is impossible for bodies to rise and come to life after a thousand years, when not even dust remains of them."
It was then that the Lord revealed the secret of the expected resurrection of the dead and the future life through His seven youths.
The owner of the plot of land on which Mount Okhlon was located began a stone building, and the workers dismantled the entrance to the cave. The Lord revived the youths, and they woke up as if from an ordinary dream, not suspecting that almost 200 years had passed. Their bodies and clothes were completely incorruptible. Preparing to accept torment, the youths instructed Saint Iamblichus to once again buy them bread in the city to strengthen their strength. Approaching the city, the young man was amazed to see a holy cross on the gates. Hearing the freely pronounced Name of Jesus Christ, he began to doubt that he had come to his city. Paying for the bread, the holy youth gave the merchant a coin with the image of Emperor Decius and was detained as if he had hidden a treasure trove of ancient coins.
Saint Iamblichus was brought before the governor, who at that time had the Bishop of Ephesus. Listening to the bewildered answers of the young man, the bishop realized that God was revealing some secret through him, and he himself went with the people to the cave. At the entrance to the cave, the bishop took out a sealed ark from a pile of stones and opened it. He read on the tin tablets the names of the seven youths and the circumstances of the walling up of the cave at the behest of Emperor Decius. Entering the cave and seeing the living youths in it, everyone rejoiced and understood that the Lord, through awakening them from a long sleep, reveals to the Church the mystery of the resurrection of the dead.
Soon the emperor himself arrived in Ephesus and talked with the young men in the cave. Then the holy youths, in front of everyone, bowed their heads to the ground and fell asleep again, this time until the general resurrection. The emperor wanted to put each of the youths in a precious shrine, but, appearing to him in a dream, the holy youths said that their bodies should be left in a cave on the ground. In the twelfth century, the Russian pilgrim hegumen Daniel saw these holy relics of the seven youths in a cave.
Secondarily, the memory of the seven youths is celebrated on October 22. According to one legend, which was included in the Russian Prologue, the youths fell asleep for the second time on this day; according to the Greek Menaion of 1870, they fell asleep for the first time on August 4, and woke up on October 22. The holy youths are also mentioned in the service of the church new year - September 1.